Circuit-interrupter



W. 0. LUM.

CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER. I APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1916.

1,352,462. PatentedSept. 14,1920.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR v v Wage/"0. Lam.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING CGMPA 1, A COBEGBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CIRGUIT-INTERRUPTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed May 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,371.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I WALTER O. LUM, a citizenof the United tates, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county ofAllegheny and State oi Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Circuit Interrupters, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to circuit interrup' ters and particularly to meansfor damping or retarding the movement of the HXOVtb ble members of thesame during its opening operation.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the above indicatedcharacter that shall be cheap to construct, eilicicnt iii operation andreadily attachable to the ordinary types of oil-insulated circuitinterrupters.

It is a well known fact that considerable jarring is experienced when acircuit interrupter is tripped unless some form of shock-absorbingdevice is provided. In view of the above, I provide vanes that areattached to the movable member of an oilinsulated circuit interrupterand adapted to be normally disposed substantially in alinement with thedirection of movement of the contact members to preclude any oppositionto the closing operation of the interrupter. The vanes are so positionedand so shaped that, when the contact members are separated, the vanesgradually assume a position which is normal to the direction of themovement of the movable contact members, thus retarding its movementtoward the latter part of its opening operation to preclude the shocksthat are usually incident to such operations.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a side view, partially insection and partially in elevation, of a circuit interrupter embodyingmy invention, Fig. 2 is an end view, partially in section and partiallyin elevation, of the circuit interrupter shown in Fi 1, and Figs. 3 and4 are detail views of modified forms of vanes embodying my invention.

A circuit interrupter 1 comprises stationary contact members 2, amovable supporting member 3, movable contact members 4 and 5 and anoil-containing receptacle 6. The stationary contact members 2 areadapted to be supported by rods 7, and the movable member 3 is adaptedto be supported by an actuating rod 8.

vanes 9 are pivotally supported by pins 10 that are carried byprojections 11 on the sides of the movable member 3. The vanes areprovided with bent portions 12 at their outer ends and are adapted tonormally assume the positions shown in full lines in the drawings.

When the movable member 3 is moved upwardly to ei'iect engagement of thecontact members, the portions 1:2 of the vanes 9 so engage the oil 13 inwhich the contact members are immersed that the vanes are retained insuch position as not to retard the movement of the movable member 3.However, when the movable member 3 moves downwardly, the portions 12tend to engage the oil in such manner that the vanes 9 gradually assumea position which is normal to the direction of movement of the movablemember 3. That is, the vanes 9 assume the positions shown in the brokenlines in the drawing, and, in such ositions, cooperate with the oil toretard tne movement of the movabic member 3 toward the latter part ofits opening operation. The vanes 9 are pro vided with projections 1 1for engaging the member to prevent the vanes turning to a position otherthan that shown in the broken lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

If: vanes having the shape of those shown in Fig. 3 are used, they willassume positimes normal to the direction of movement of the movablemember before the movable member has traveled an appreciable distancedownwardly, and, it vanes having the shape of those shown in Fig. 1 areused, they will require a relatively greater move ment of the movablemember before they assume positions normal to the direction of movementof the movable member. T u the amount and the time of 'the retardationmay be adjusted by the use of vanes of different shapes.

I do not limit my invention to the particular structure illustrated, asmany modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a movable memher for actuation in a fluid, ofmeans, on

said member only, opposing the movement thereof by gradually changingamounts.

2. The combination with a movable member for actuation in a fluid, ofmeans, on said member only, opposing the movement thereof by constantlychanging amounts substantially throughout its movement.

3. The combination with a movable member for actuation said member onlyopposing the movement thereof-by gradually increasing amounts in onedirection and by gradually decreasing amounts in another direction.

4. The combination with a movable member for actuation in a fluid, ofmeans opposing the movement thereof by gradually changing amountsbetween positions where said means eli'ects substantially no opposiionand where it effects its maximum opposition.

5. The combination with a movable mem ber for actuation in a fluid, of avane pivoted to the movable member to effect a gradually changing amountof opposition thereto during the movement of said movable member.

6. In a fluid-containing receptacle, the combination with a reciprocablemember, of a vane pivoted to the said member and adapted to be normallydisposed in alinement with the direction of movement of the reciprocablemember, said vane being pro vided with means whereby it assumes aposition normal to the direction or" move ment of the said member onlywhen the said member is moved in one direction.

7. In a fluid-containing receptacle, the combination with a reciprocablemember. of vanes pivoted to the reciprocable member in a fluid, ofmeans, on

and having outwardly extending end portions for causing the vanes tonormally assume a position substantially in alinement with the directionof movement of the said member.

8. In a fluid-containing receptacle, the combination with a movablemember, of vanes pivoted to the movable member and normally positionedsubstantially in alinement with the direction of movement of the movablemember, said vanes having bent outer ends for assisting the vanes toassume positions substantially normal to the direction of movement whenthe movable member is moved in one direction.

9. A retarding device for a movable member comprising a fluid-containingrereptacle and a relatively-movable vane mounted on the movable memberto assume positions of maximum and substantially Zero retarding effectswith respect thereto.

10. A retarding device for a movable member comprising afluid-containing receptacle and a relatively-movable vane mounted on themovable member to oppose the movement thereof by gra dually increasingamounts in one direction and to assist the movement thereof ing itsopposition with respect thereto another direction.

11. The combination with a movable member for actuation in a iiuirb ofme for retarding the movement thereof ly forces ranging in value fromsubstantially zero to avmaximum. i

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th dayof May WALTER O. LUM.

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